Locals struggle to find jobs as SA’s unemployment rate rises
Below are the stories of a few locals who decided not to just fold their arms because they are struggling to find a job.
With the country’s escalating unemployment rates, more locals say they struggle to find work.
Stats SA released the results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2023, and the data shows that the number of unemployed increased by 179 000 more people in the first quarter of this year.
This puts the unemployed workforce at 7.9 million, from 7.7 million people in the last quarter of 2022.
Judging from the information gathered, the struggle to find jobs has been across the board, with experienced people struggling to re-enter the workforce, while youngsters trying to gain a foothold in the job market after graduation feel left out in the cold because getting that first job has become harder than ever.
Some of the locals interviewed by the Boksburg Advertiser, be they skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled, have settled for any job that will put food on the table. Some have considered starting their own small businesses, while others are left to beg for odd jobs to survive, which sometimes means working in roles that do not require their qualifications or higher education.
The national official unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023 recorded a slight increase of 0.2% points, reaching 32,9%, up from 32,7% in the last quarter of 2022.
According to the study, load-shedding in the first quarter and generally unfavourable conditions are
to blame for the increasing unemployment levels during the period (January-March 2023).
Here are their stories
Martin Matome (30), Ramaphosa
After being unable to find a job for many years to support his two children, Matome resorted to waiting on
the streets and begging for odd jobs.
“I travel on foot between Ramaphosa and Anderbolt daily, sometimes hungry and without money for lunch.”
Matome pointed out the competition for odd jobs is high, even on the streets.
“We wait here almost the whole day and many times go back home without landing any piecework. It is demoralising. I don’t have any qualifications, but I am good at painting and can do
any general work.
“Being unable to get a secured job has left me very stressed. I have already lost hope that I will ever secure
anything better than what we sometimes get here.”
Andries Mchunu (49), Boksburg North
After three years of the daily frustration of spending time job-hunting online, calling and physically making
trips to companies to hand his CV bore no fruit, Mchunu turned to the Boksburg streets to beg for a job.
He and other job seekers wait at the Paul Smith Road and 13th Avenue intersection.
“Jobs are hard to come by. I used to work as a chef for a local supermarket. It has been hard to find another job after being laid off due to the economic situation, exacerbated by the Covid-19
lockdown.”
Mchunu at first searched for jobs related to his skill, but after a long time of being unemployed, he started
applying for anything he could find, still without success.
“My wife is now the only breadwinner. It has been hard for her to support the family which consists of me, her
and two children.
“I then decided to come here. We wait here daily from 08:00 to 17:00 and sometimes you go back home
without getting any piecework.
“When you are lucky, you get casual work helping people move, gardening or cleaning. They usually offer
us anything between R150 and R200.“
Mchunu worries that the high load-shedding stages are worsening the situation as many businesses are closing or scaling down.
Mduduzi Wanda (38), Benoni
After he tried for a long time to find a job using the traditional ways to seek employment, Wanda decided to turn to beg for odd jobs at the busy intersections in Anderbolt, Boksburg North.
He previously worked for a Jet Park-based company as a technician. Due to economic issues, his employer
gradually started cutting jobs and he was among those sent home.
“It is very tough, especially when you don’t have relatives to help you to buy food, pay rent and look after your
children.
“I have two children, aged five and nine, and their mother to fend for. It is painful for me to go home with nothing to give to my children and wife after spending a long time job-hunting.
“When you are lucky, you get piecework and earn something to take home. But it is still difficult to buy food, buy clothes and keep children in school with R150.
Juandre Schwartz (33), Ravenswood
Schwartz, a qualified graphic designer who graduated from CTU Boksburg in 2011, said he has been struggling to re-enter the workforce after losing his job as a UX developer due to the Covid-19 hard lockdown disruptions.
He has since 2022 been attempting to find another job. Schwartz pointed out that the struggle to find a job has seen him branching out into other fields, such as working in call centres, just to put food on the table. Such jobs are based on short-term contracts.
“The job market is very saturated, especially in my field of work. I went back to study further, hoping to secure
a job after obtaining my qualification.
“I have not given up. I am continuously sending my CVs to potential employers, even for positions that do not match my qualification, and hope that something will come my way soon,” said Schwartz.
Lindiwe Maduna (34), Villa Liza
After a long struggle to find a job, the qualified fashion designer Maduna started her own small business to
make ends meet.
“I got fed up, and after being motivated by the street vendors who wake up every morning to make a living, I
decided to hustle. I asked my father, who had just got retrenched, to help me with the capital to start my own
fashion line, called Crafty, in 2016.”
Maduna obtained her diploma from Jabu’s Academy of Fashion Design.
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She eventually started a business, Crafty Creations, which teaches unemployed people to make clothing from recyclable materials.
“I also secured a contract as a support teacher. When my contract ended, I used my money to buy machines for
my learners and to grow the company.
“It brings me joy to see my little company growing. Hopefully, it will turn into something more so that I can
employ more people and decrease unemployment in our community,” she added.
Mpho Dzonzi (23), Daveyton
The struggle to find a job to fend for his partner and two children saw Dzonzi starting a small business in 2022, selling multi-purpose cleaning products at the East Rand Mall taxi rank.
“Without matric, it has been a big struggle for me to find a job. I love working in sales, and tried to find a
job in various places, but failed.
“The struggle prompted me to sell these products. Even though it may not be enough to meet all the needs
at home, it is better than folding your arms and being dependent on handouts or support from parents, friends
and relatives.
“I am thankful that the community is supporting me. I think the support comes from the effort and skills to
approach people and demonstrate how the product works.
“My next mission is to grow this business and open a shop one day.”
Dzonzi encourages the unemployed to emulate him while still trying to secure a job in their career of choice.
